In the universe of Harry Potter, certain characters are unanimous. This is the case of Peter Pettigrew, aka Wormtail, whom all fans hate. False best friend of Ron Weasley when he was his rat, the character played by Timothy Spall in the films is a servant of Voldemort. But then, why is he from Gryffindor?
If there is one saga that has sparked enthusiasm and still continues to bring together many fans around major discussions: it is Harry Potter. Initiated in 1998 with a first novel called Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, this literary success signed JK Rowling immediately knew how to find its audience of readers before exploding across the big screen in films that have become legendary, carried by Daniel Radcliffe in the title role.
Harry Potter: The Peter Pettigrew Mystery
A franchise that single-handedly marked the culture of the 2000s, teeming with details and information allowing everyone to still be passionate about this or that part of the famous odyssey. And if some aficionados could contradict us by explaining that they have covered all the questions, Seriously looked into a mystery that weighs on the minds of many Hogwarts lovers. Yes, this is about knowing why the odious Peter Pettigrew is a Gryffindor.
Among the elements that have always been debated, the fact that Peter Pettigrew is not a Slytherin may seem like an aberration, or even a writing error on the part of the English author. Him whose revealing name means “to become bad” (“petty” meaning “bad” and “grew” being the past tense of grow, “to grow”) is a Death Eaters who became servants of Voldemort after betraying Dumbledore’s defenders.
Should Peter Pettigrew really have been a Slytherin?
Responsible for the deaths of James and Lily Potter after denouncing the couple to the Dark Lord, the character played by Timothy Spall in the feature films is far from corresponding to the values of the lion coat of arms. And yet, he is indeed one of them, despite a very long hesitation from the Sorting Hat.
The one who hid himself under the guise of ScabbersRon Weasley’s rat, is indeed one of only two Chapeauflous in the saga, with Minerva McGonagall. We can then estimate that if the Sorting Hat finally decided for Gryffindor, it was with the aim of helping the young boy, of offering him a chance to escape.
Also, let’s not forget that it is possible for the future schoolchild to express the wish for a House. If nothing specifies in the books or in the films that Wormtail would have made this request, we can imagine that the Sorting Hat was able to detect a desire to do good in this boy then aged 11, visibly suffering from the lack of a father figure (there is never mention of the father during the history, and only his mother is decorated upon the death of her son).
A wizard braver than he looks
Another detail: although it seems loose, Peter Pettigrew demonstrated courage, a very fundamental value among Gryffindors. Despite the risk and danger involved, he indeed accepted being an Animagus and showed that he was not afraid of facing a werewolf. Not hesitating to face numerous obstacles to find Voldemort, he proves that this devotion tends rather towards a cruel need for recognition, he who suffered from being the “last wheel of the carriage” at school, within of his quartet with Sirius, James and Remus.
Finally, he knows how to show humanity, and it was his last moments of life that proved it to us. Whilehe hesitates to kill Harry Potter at the MalfoysPettigrew lets him escape, knowing well that he risks a heavy punishment. So, like all the Harry Potter characters, Peter Pettigrew has many more nuances than he seems.
